Ocean Country Partnership Programme: Vanuatu Development of the Department for Environmental Protection and Conservation Data Management System

JNCC co-leads the Biodiversity loss theme of the Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP), a UK government-led programme under the Blue Planet Fund. For the past year, OCPP has been supporting Vanuatu Government with priority areas, including data management within the Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC). The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) supports countries to: • strengthen marine science expertise • develop science-based policy and management tools • create educational resources for coastal communities This contract sits under the "Marine Biodiversity" strand of the Ocean Country Partnership Programme, which aims to support countries to develop the skills and expertise needed to establish well-managed and enforced marine protected areas, promoting healthy ecosystems with thriving biodiversity and fisheries that communities rely on for food and livelihoods. This contract is being delivered on behalf of the Vanuatu Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation (DEPC). DEPC have requested support to develop a data management system to facilitate storage and access to data across the divisions within the department. Currently, data are stored on laptops/PCs with limited data sharing, cataloguing and retention. DEPC staff feel data accessibility within DEPC and between Government departments is limiting DEPC's ability to justify decisions with evidence. The need for an effective data management system has been identified as a key priority for DEPC, and there has been a prototype developed for the Biodiversity & Conservation division. However, a more holistic solution is required to facilitate data sharing between divisions, creating a harmonised and transparent workflow across the department. JNCC have undertaken user research to define and understand user requirements that will inform this development, discussing functionality with DEPC staff and technical infrastructure with the Office of Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO). A copy of the user research report is attached to this Invitation to Tender.